Bali Spirits

Bali is an interesting place, especially in regards to spirituality. The people have intertwined Hinduism with ritual. Due to the strong presence of ritual, appeasement of spirits, and presence of gods, Balinese women and men spend hours each day preparing offerings.

These offerings are a complex procedure. The steps include gathering the coconut palm leaves to weave a basket and then placing a combination of cooked rice, a leaf, and flowers in the basket along with incense as offerings to the gods. When we asked our guesthouse how many times a day, the man said this is done once a day before eating breakfast. The reason is the gods must eat first.

These baskets were placed in front of doorway entries, on statues, and even on motorbikes and car dashboards. Before going to the airport, the driver placed a small basket on the dashboard and sprinkled some of the flowers and rice from the basket outside before starting the drive. We also noticed that on the way to our scuba diving destination, the driver stopped and made an offering at the temple. It amazed me that some people, especially women, spend all day everyday occupied with the preparation and giving of offerings.